U.S. Library of Congress FY2019-2023 Strategic Plan: ENRICHING THE LIBRARY EXPERIENCELibrary of Congress
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Organization_37602819-007b-4d60-b1f7-4965f6d1e454The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, with nearly 170 million items in our collections, and extensive expert services and programs.CongressFirst and foremost, supporting
access to authoritative
information and the democratic
exchange of ideas --
Service to Congress has been and remains
at the core of our mission. We will continue
to engage, inspire, and inform Congress
through our collections and our diverse
service and experience offerings, including
policy consultations, on-demand analysis,
briefings, events, programs, and constituent
engagement.ConnectorsExternal communities such as
libraries, schools, and other
groups and institutions that
ultimately connect users with
the LibraryLearnersThose of any age who seek
understanding and knowledge
through the Library’s digital and
physical collections and servicesAmericansAs the steward of a unique, universal, and
ever-growing collection that belongs to the
American people, the Library of Congress also
has a mandate to inspire, inform, and serve
all Americans by engaging their cultural and
intellectual curiosity and creativity.Library of Congress ExpertsThese groups are not mutually exclusive. Users
can assume different personas to interact with
the Library in multiple capacities in a single
day or over the course of their life. They can
do so from different locations, using different
platforms and devices. Understanding these
factors are part of designing an optimized user
experience.
Improving our understanding of the myriad
ways users interact with the Library’s
collections, experts, and services is
fundamental to delivering our mission. Each
interaction is an opportunity to move people
along a path, from awareness to discovery,
then to use, and finally, to connection with
the Library—a continuum that renews itself
over time.Library of Congress UsersThe Library has
a rich history of
serving a diverse
group of users.
Dating back to the mid-19th century, Librarian
of Congress Ainsworth Rand Spofford managed
the transition of the Library from an entity
whose role was exclusively in service to
Congress to one also serving a more general
audience as an institution of knowledge.
Today, we continue this pursuit. Being user
centered means thinking about the Library
in the life of the user instead of the more
traditional model of thinking about the user
in the life of the Library.
The agency’s strategy centers around four
user groups: Congress, Creators, Learners,
and Connectors.CreatorsResearchers, originators of new
knowledge and scholarship,
builders of cultural capacity, and
copyright users and stakeholdersCarla Hayden14th Librarian of CongressAll Americans are connected to the Library of Congress.Vision_045ea523-2f24-44a1-8299-9d6b0bf6eba3Engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity.Mission_045ea523-2f24-44a1-8299-9d6b0bf6eba3UsageOnce an item from our collections, a particular
expert, or a service we offer has been found,
it needs to be useful and delivered in a way
that engenders a positive experience. While
the primary function of the agency is to serve
Congress, many other organizations and
individuals use the Library. Given the diverse
needs and global dispersion of these groups,
we will improve our existing offerings while
seeking innovative ways for people to interact
with the Library.ImaginationInspire and encourage creativity,
promote and support the work of
American creators.
Developed by and applied to all parts of
the agency, these concepts transcend our
organizational boundaries and inform the
goals and objectives which comprise this
Strategic Plan.ConnectionThe user experience continuum culminates
with connection. A connection happens when
the user interacts with an item or service
and leaves feeling that the experience was
personally relevant and valuable.
This continuum is renewed as we inform
people of reasons to return to the Library and
share new ways to engage with and explore
our offerings, thus inspiring a connection that
strengthens over time.EngagementResearchers and authors turn to the Library
for source material not available anywhere
else. With access to original manuscripts,
ancient maps, rare books, photographs, films,
and sound recordings, these authors create
new works that help interpret history for
future generations. The process of copyright
registration and deposit completes a virtuous
cycle that may result in the addition of these
new works to the Library’s collections.
The Library helps ensure that millions of
Americans with blindness and other disabilities
continue to experience the joy of reading
through a national network of libraries that
distribute the latest contemporary literature in
a variety of accessible formats.MemoryAcquire, sustain, and provide
access to a universal collection;KnowledgeCongress, the judiciary, and other federal
agencies have reliable, round-the-clock
access to reliable knowledge in print, online,
and via consultation with scholars and experts
from the Congressional Research Service, the
U.S. Copyright Office, the Law Library, and the
Kluge Center.
Families seeking to research their heritage
can rely on subject experts in our reading
rooms, tap into the StoryCorps Archive, or
take advantage of the vast digital collections
of early American newspapers, manuscripts,
maps, photographs, and prints.AspirationThe Library’s vision is aspirational and speaks
to the tangible and intangible connections that
are possible with the nation we serve. Through
our unequaled collections, services, events,
and products, users can connect with the
Library in meaningful ways throughout their
life journey.
This vision reinforces the agency’s focus on
users—visitors, researchers, and patrons from
a variety of locations, circumstances, and
walks of life—by expanding our efforts to make
the nation’s universal and enduring source of
knowledge and creativity more discoverable,
accessible, relevant, and useful.
Connectedness has many forms
for the Library:
Informing lawmakers, policy-makers, and
their constituents requires us to be connected
intellectually.
Engaging and sharing knowledge with users
worldwide, and quickly and easily copyrighting
creative works requires us to be connected
digitally.
Creating strong ties that move partners,
organizations, and individuals to donate their
time, resources, stories, and creative works
requires us to be connected societally.
Being a unified organization requires being
connected to our workforce with support,
training, and a sustained commitment to
recruit the next generation of Library experts
and leaders.
The goals and objectives in this Strategic Plan
help us get closer to this vision. Enhancing
awareness of the Library’s offerings, improving
discoverability of and access to those
resources, and increasing usage through a
suite of services that meet diverse needs will
connect more people to the agency in more
meaningful ways.
Additionally, with a strong emphasis on digital
enablement, the Strategic Plan will further the
Library’s worldwide influence.DirectionDirection Forward --
* User Centered
* Digitally Enabled
* Data Driven --
The unifying
themes of Memory/
Knowledge/
Imagination
ground the strategy;
the direction
forward guides it.
In executing this Strategic Plan over the next
five years, the agency is making a decisive shift
to be more user centered, digitally enabled,
and data driven.AwarenessMany people describe the Library as a beautiful
museum or a resource for Congress and
scholars, but that is not the full story. We want
to broaden awareness and ensure people
know even more about what the Library
offers—and specifically what it can uniquely
offer each person. We also want to learn more
about those who do not know that the Library
is a resource available for them. We will use this
knowledge to target our outreach efforts.ResearchProvide authoritative and
objective research, analysis, and
information;User CentricityUser Centered -- We are a user-centered organization.
Therefore, our strategic decisions consider
what users want and expect from their national
library. Improving user experience is not a
one-time event; rather, it represents a
fundamentally new way of operating. As such,
it requires our leadership to build the
capabilities and infrastructure that will enable
this transformation.
Our staff are some of the Library’s best
ambassadors. The new strategy seeks to
harness staff insight and their contributions to
elevate the user experience. All staff, including
those in internal-facing roles, have a part to
play in this effort.DiscoveryOur users should be able to find what they
are looking for easily and as intuitively as
possible. Current user experiences—shaped
via search engines, social media platforms,
available metadata, and always-connected
devices—have led to an expectation that
relevant information will rise to the top and
in many cases present itself to a user even
without asking. While this is a challenging
expectation for any organization to meet,
in some ways this is where libraries excel.
Because of our expert staff, we are well-suited
to expose interesting relationships, enable
“serendipitous discovery,” and
facilitate creativity.InformationThe Library’s
more than 3,000
dedicated staff
work every day to
provide authoritative
and objective
information to
Congress.
Library staff build, steward, describe, and share
the world’s largest and most comprehensive
collection of knowledge; examine and register
hundreds of thousands of copyright claims
for works of original authorship every year;
interpret complex, dynamic legal issues for
Congress, the judiciary, and executive agencies;
provide primary source-based curricula; design
and host events and programs across a broad
spectrum of creative and intellectual interests;
distribute accessible versions of the latest
books to people who are blind or have other
print or learning disabilities; and demonstrate
leadership in their professional fields.
The Library’s rich and diverse body of work
can be framed in terms largely inspired by
Thomas Jefferson’s organizing construct for
his personal library—the core from which the
Library’s collection developed:InspirationWith 1.6 million annual visitors, the Library’s
Thomas Jefferson Building has become
a landmark destination, renowned for its
architectural beauty and celebration of
knowledge and creativity.
Programs, exhibitions, centers, and marquee
events such as the Veterans History Project,
National Book Festival, and Digital Learning
Labs expand the Library’s reach and inspire
learners of all ages.UnificationA Unified Role --
* Memory
* Knowledge
* ImaginationData FocusData Driven -- A data-driven organization is one that embeds
analysis, data, and reasoning into the decision-making process. Efforts to embed analytics
have begun in pockets throughout the Library.
Becoming a data-driven organization, however,
means determining how best to scale these
projects across the Library to drive greater
business impact.
Moving forward, we will increase our
investment to take advantage of the
tremendous amount of data associated with
our vast collections. We are also building upon
previous efforts to learn more about our users
in order to tailor our services.
Data will help to improve the speed and
quality of performance measurement and
decision making. Through this evidencebased approach, the Library will provide a
more productive experience and improve our
opportunity to create a lifelong connection
with each of our users.Digital EnablementDigitally Enabled -- As much as we desire to have every American
come to Washington, D.C., to visit the Library,
that is not possible. This is why being digitally
enabled is paramount to our success.
Realizing a digitally enabled Library of
Congress is an ongoing process. As technology
advances, new business models emerge and
user expectations evolve. We will take a long
view, developing strategies that account for
what is on the horizon. Our Digital Strategy will
be closely aligned with the Strategic Plan.ExperienceThe User Experience Continuum:AccessMake our unique collections, experts, and services available when, where, and how users need them.Goal_fb532f7c-1319-4304-8bdd-89bd18f336a01Expand Access -- Shortly after being sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden noted that, “The biggest opportunity for the Library is to make its wonderful treasures available to people…make people aware that it is part of their national heritage and that everyone can find something in the Library that relates to them, their classroom curriculum, or where they want to go in life.” This statement aptly describes our aspirations of being not only the world’s largest, but also the world’s most-used library. In addition to our expert staff and collections, we have many tools at hand to realize this aspiration. Technology provides an opportunity to democratize the Library’s collections and services like never before. Strategic partnerships and collaborations can multiply our user base. And when people cannot come to Washington, D.C., we can bring some of the magic of experiencing the Library to them.
Given the diverse needs and geographic dispersion of our users, we will continue to improve our existing offerings while seeking new and innovative ways for people to interact with the Library.Connectorsunnamed generic groupunnamed stakeholderunnamed stakeholderDiscoverability & AvailabilityIncrease Discoverability and AvailabilityObjective_c336744d-0e22-4546-a7b2-108226e44ff61We will make our collections, experts, and services more readily discoverable and available for users, whether visiting Washington, D.C., or accessing the Library remotely.unnamed stakeholderReachUse Connectors to Extend ReachObjective_41585459-40f1-4b53-b727-43dfcd80af4f2We will work with partners to promote our collections, experts, and services to their networks.ConnectorsPresenceExpand Physical PresenceObjective_02433ca5-93ec-47d3-a856-c616292798b93We will proactively bring elements of the Library to the American people and enable broader use of our collections, experts, and services.unnamed generic groupExperiences & ConnectionsCreate valuable experiences for every user to foster lifelong connections to the LibraryGoal_456f2014-532f-421a-9576-6d355401eb4d2Enhance Services -- Meeting a user’s needs has always been context-dependent, but this is more so in today’s complex environment when people are using so many powerful new tools to discover, access, and use information. In other words, users have options. Whether providing policy consultations with Members of Congress via Skype, launching a crowdsourcing project inviting users to create a database of historic newspaper images, providing online access to copyright regulations and cases, or debuting “touch history” tours that allow visually impaired visitors to experience the magnificence of the Thomas Jefferson Building, the Library will continue to innovate and rethink the way we do business. Delivering superior services and valuable experiences is the way to encourage users to return regularly and become lifelong learners and Library contributors.unnamed generic groupLifelong Learnersunnamed generic groupunnamed generic groupLibrary ContributorsVisually Impaired VisitorsMembers of CongressDigitalElevate Digital ExperiencesObjective_bc8179ed-712b-49b9-a2c1-04b335853a651We will invest in an end-to-end digital experience that improves online services, enhances discoverability, and facilitates the online curation of content to help all users derive more value.unnamed generic groupIn-PersonTransform In-Person ExperiencesObjective_bcb6191c-9938-425c-8e14-2f40db4840472We will focus on exhibitions, learning spaces, educational materials, and cultural programming to transform visitors into users of our services and contributors to our mission.unnamed generic groupContentDevelop User-Centered ContentObjective_de680acf-dabc-4cdd-8ca3-0d043dd04e1c3We will develop content in a variety of formats and media to enhance the usability and accessibility of the Library’s collections.unnamed generic groupCapabilitiesModernize, strengthen, and streamline our operational capabilities.Goal_3adf11ff-d373-45ff-9644-d439d1e8cf743Optimize Resources -- The agency’s financial and human resources, physical and digital capacities, and rate of technological advancement have struggled to keep pace with the growth of its collections and the needs of its users. The confluence of these factors has made our current operating model untenable without a shift in approach. Our approach moving forward will focus on two fundamental opportunities. The first is to identify, synergize, and leverage capabilities, processes, and talent dispersed across organizational units as a single enterprise. The second opportunity goes beyond the common adage of doing more with less, and seeks instead to proactively find more, so the agency can do even more.unnamed generic groupunnamed generic groupunnamed generic groupunnamed generic groupunnamed stakeholderActivitiesAlign Core Library ActivitiesObjective_41766fc7-f00c-49b4-bf8e-13108c4f02301We will align and strengthen capabilities across the Library to achieve optimum operational efficiencies while providing enhanced user services.unnamed generic groupOperationsModernize OperationsObjective_f9192b56-d5fd-4045-9711-7990f13b7d8a2We will share information, apply best practices, and use data across the Library to drive user-centered enhancements that will deliver the highest returns while balancing staff workloads.unnamed generic groupTalentInvest in Talent for the FutureObjective_af86e34b-084e-4492-8046-51e7cd11d4323We will uncover and address capability gaps; train and retain our experts; and recruit new talent to augment our knowledge, skills, and abilities.unnamed generic groupFundingDiversify and Expand FundingObjective_e944e997-d694-4cd9-a4ba-90d4db7993384We will more effectively articulate the Library’s value to attract additional resources from Congress, private donors, and others.unnamed generic groupImpactUse data to measure our impact on the world around us and share a powerful storyGoal_14cbad70-381b-4910-8979-3304372cdf4a4Measure Impact -- The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library with nearly 170 million items; yet what ultimately makes the Library successful is usage. There is no doubt the Library’s collections and its human expertise hold untold intellectual value. But we must go beyond the volume of collections or number of research requests from Congress when speaking to our value, and focus on increasing usage, and perhaps more importantly, measuring the impact of our collections, services, and experts. We will use data to measure how effectively we deliver services to our users. Having access to better quality aggregate data about our users—while appropriately disclosing how the information is being collected and used, and safeguarding user privacy—will allow the agency to gain insights to operate more efficiently and effectively. To enhance our services, staff will be empowered by this data to turn what they learn into principled action, working with users and with each other to address issues as they emerge and make timely improvements. For an institution as large as the Library to be effective, our approach to achieving the goals and objectives outlined in this Strategic Plan must be integrated across the organization. This means promoting shared outcomes and resource planning to enable our organizational units to fulfill their mission-specific goals.unnamed generic groupunnamed generic groupunnamed generic groupunnamed stakeholderUsersUnderstand Our UsersObjective_d2ad2394-33f6-44b6-be75-592811aa104b1We will use data to better understand our users and their needs and measure how effectively we deliver services, while appropriately safeguarding user privacy.unnamed generic groupCommunicationCommunicate ImpactObjective_e93c2784-b644-4252-afdf-471e8951d0412We will measure impact in order to demonstrate value to all stakeholders and share our story in compelling, creative ways.unnamed generic groupCulturePromote a Culture of Continuous ImprovementObjective_7041ec26-a75e-451c-9033-f7bd8db8a6b73We will become an insight-driven organization, using data to plan, set goals and targets, and strengthen performance management.unnamed generic groupStrategyPlan_045ea523-2f24-44a1-8299-9d6b0bf6eba32018-10-012023-09-302021-11-06Submitter_045ea523-2f24-44a1-8299-9d6b0bf6eba3OwenAmbur